Salem, OR—Today, Secretary of State Dennis Richardson is pleased to invite all elementary and middle school-aged children to compete in the 2019–2020 Oregon Blue Book Essay Contest.

The 2019-2020 Blue Book theme is "Celebrating Oregon's Local Festivals." Essays should answer the following question:

What is your favorite local community celebration, festival, carnival, fiesta, or fair and why?

Contestants are also encouraged to illustrate their essays with drawings.

The Oregon Blue Book, published biennially since 1911, is the official state almanac. The Blue Book contains information, listings, and descriptions of Oregon state government, educational institutions, media information, cultural and arts organizations, and miscellaneous points of interest to Oregonians and visitors alike. It also includes Oregon fun facts, maps, and state and election history.

"The Oregon Blue Book has been a state icon for over 100 years,” said Secretary of State Dennis Richardson. “The Blue Book is filled with great information on over 2,000 areas of interest that make up Oregon. It covers all things Oregon from absentee voting to aviation, banking to butterflies, wages to windsurfing, and much more. It's just a great resource and a fun read with breathtaking photos of Oregon.”

The winning essay(s) and drawing(s) will be printed in the Blue Book, and the author(s) and artist(s) will be invited to the Capitol for the official Blue Book Release party and celebration in early 2019.

The deadline for submitting entries is October 16, 2018. Submissions must include the student's name, grade, teacher's name, school name and address, and be mailed, not emailed, to: